Wisdom Quarterly; Walking Stranger 78 (video compilation)
Buddha Boy (born April 9, 1990) has given talks over the years -- some to inspire the greatest spiritual ideals, some to bless and comfort and bring prosperity, some to plead for peace and compassion towards one another as well as animals and the forest/environment. These are given in the local language, while chanting is usually done in Sanskrit. Many are videotaped. And a few are formally translated. This is a collection of subtitled videotaped utterances to give a sense of Buddha Boy's (Dharma Sangha) message for the world so far.
Om Namo Guru Buddha Gyani ("Salutation to the One who knows Buddha" or "Hail the future buddha-knowledge guru") is also known as Ven. Dharma Sangha, Tapaswi Palden Dorje, Tamang Tulku Rimpoche, who was born Ram Bahadur Bomjon.
He has yet to announce accomplishing his goal and making known that timeless and immediately effective Dharma for the sake of which one sets off on a noble quest. He began meditating 2005 at the age of 15. This pivotal year, "Mayan 2012" (or 0-1) in the popular consciousness, may see the fulfillment of his prediction. But what did he predict?
How it all began
DharmaSangha.info edited by Wisdom Quarterly
Buddha Boy, now Ven. Dharma Sangha or simply Guru, visited Lumbini, Nepal (the garden believed by many to be where Siddhartha was born). He took Five Precepts (pancha sila) of abstaining from killing animals (and so becoming a vegetarian), stealing, lying, thinking negatively of others, and intoxicants then trained with gurus in Dehra Dun, India.
He returned to Nepal's beautiful lakeside city of Pokhara. And taking ill he implored his family not to sacrifice any animals or take any alcohol otherwise further complications would arise. He got better but was still limping when he disappeared from his home the night of May 16, 2005.
When his mother found out, she alerted the village, and everyone joined in the search. A local boy claimed to have seen him while shaking a mango tree. Guru had come by and picked one up then stepped fully clothed into the river. “I thought you had disappeared,” the boy remarked to Guru. “Have I?” Guru replied. “You’d better go home, and be careful not to touch me.”
The boy ran home to tell his story, but at first nobody believed him. Guru’s relatives went to the ravine. Guru smiled characteristically when they found him. They told him to come home. “I’ll go home at 4:00 pm” Guru said. His family decided it would be wise to keep an eye on him, so some siblings stayed. At 4:00, he picked up a couple of mangoes and began to eat one. He told his little brother to bring him water, rice, his lama robes, a mala (beads), and a picture of the Buddha. His little brother did.
Guru’s sister came to tell him to come home at once. Seeing how emaciated he looked from his previous illness, she cried and begged him. He told her to stop crying, and she went home.
“Please leave me alone, or one of us may die” Guru said. “If anyone disturbs me or my things at midnight, I will have to meditate for 20 years. But if all goes well, I will meditate for six years.”
Then Guru, followed by his brother and in the distance villagers, set out to find a good place in the forest for meditation. His parents insisted he take some food and water with him. Finally, he reached his destination at 11:00 am on May 18, 2005. This was the day the villagers of Ratanpuri celebrated Buddha Jayanti (Vesak).
He settled himself under a pipal tree (just like the historical Buddha's sacred fig tree), having offered 10 kinds of fruit to the picture of the Buddha. About 30 villagers saw where Guru was meditating, and they left an offering of over 1,000 rupees as was the custom at Buddha Jayanti.
On that night at 12:00 am, some pranksters came to disturb him and steal the offering. They quarreled over the money, and later accused each other in front of villagers. Having confessed, they asked Guru’s forgiveness.
Guru left his first meditation spot and traveled north on May 24, 2005. At that time he gave six pipal leaves to his second eldest brother telling him to keep them in oil. He said that as long as his family kept the leaves, all would be well. His relatives cried when he left.
Again the villagers were concerned about his whereabouts. But late in the afternoon, a cowherd saw him at his new meditation site. The villagers sent his family to bring him home. But Guru refused and moved to yet another pipal tree to the east.
He told his family that he must continue to meditate at all costs. He drew a boundary around his meditation area. Later villagers and relatives built a fence for him. A growing crowd gathered at the site, so he asked for a hut to be built and sealed with plastic on all sides. He remained in it for 15 days. After that he explained: “I have received some energy so that I may now meditate under a tree outside.”
There was a terrible drought in the village. Guru advised the villagers to petition a naga (dragon, reptilian entity, snake deity). After five days, it started raining.
On his 75th day of meditation, he opened his eyes and asked his elder brother to address him, “Om Namo Buddha Gyani” (“Salutation to the One who knows Buddha”). Then he returned to his meditation. From that day on he was addressed as Om Namo Buddha Gyani.
On August 18, 2005 he called together his friends who were lamas. They asked him how it was that he was surviving without water. Guru replied that two nagas -- "dragons" often associated with water -- protected him from either side. That day Guru also changed his clothes and wore a white cloth called ngag.
[The Nagas are a tribal group who reside in the Indian Himalayan range, as are the Nga, both of whom seem named after the reptilian entities of Indian lore. Such beings, which are not always bad, are highly regarded in Tibet, Bhutan, and China as well.]
On November 6, 2005 a venomous snake (also called a naga) bit him. He sweat more than two liters (apparently still not taking liquids) as he continued to meditate. He thus overcame the venom. Local follower believe he reached enlightenment on this day, for the Bodhisattva (one yet to be enlightened) has the ability to survive otherwise deadly snake venom by staying against a tree, soil, and stone to digest, breakdown, and clear the poison. One is able to remain unaffected by wind and can understand the communication of all creatures (which more than by way of auditory language seems to be telepathic).
On November 8, 2005 Buddha Boy told the people gathered that he did not have the energy of a buddha. And he asked them not to publicize him as an "incarnation of the Buddha."
On November 11, 2005 a bright light appeared shining forth from his head (aura, nimbus, halo). His followers cried with joy and became even more fervent. But he told them, “Leave me in peace, and there will soon be peace in the country.” [That peace seems to have arrived.]
However crowds kept increasing. People chanted because pujas are emotionally devotional events rather than silently meditative ones. They set up a marketplace, according to broadcasters from Radio HBC 94 FM who visited the site on December 10, 2005.
The crowds were kept at a distance of about 50 meters. All witnesses claimed that Guru neither ate, drank or left to relieve himself. He just sat and meditated under the pipal tree. Baffled onlookers were ever increasing. There were stories of miracles: a girl and a young man had gained the power of speech although they could not speak. More
How it all began
DharmaSangha.info edited by Wisdom Quarterly
Buddha Boy, now Ven. Dharma Sangha or simply Guru, visited Lumbini, Nepal (the garden believed by many to be where Siddhartha was born). He took Five Precepts (pancha sila) of abstaining from killing animals (and so becoming a vegetarian), stealing, lying, thinking negatively of others, and intoxicants then trained with gurus in Dehra Dun, India.He returned to Nepal's beautiful lakeside city of Pokhara. And taking ill he implored his family not to sacrifice any animals or take any alcohol otherwise further complications would arise. He got better but was still limping when he disappeared from his home the night of May 16, 2005.
When his mother found out, she alerted the village, and everyone joined in the search. A local boy claimed to have seen him while shaking a mango tree. Guru had come by and picked one up then stepped fully clothed into the river. “I thought you had disappeared,” the boy remarked to Guru. “Have I?” Guru replied. “You’d better go home, and be careful not to touch me.”
The boy ran home to tell his story, but at first nobody believed him. Guru’s relatives went to the ravine. Guru smiled characteristically when they found him. They told him to come home. “I’ll go home at 4:00 pm” Guru said. His family decided it would be wise to keep an eye on him, so some siblings stayed. At 4:00, he picked up a couple of mangoes and began to eat one. He told his little brother to bring him water, rice, his lama robes, a mala (beads), and a picture of the Buddha. His little brother did.
Guru’s sister came to tell him to come home at once. Seeing how emaciated he looked from his previous illness, she cried and begged him. He told her to stop crying, and she went home.
Meditating in the jungle with Buddha Boy, Nepal's tropical Terai
Meditation Begins
Then sitting in a meditative posture he seemed to go into trance. He began to ask himself questions and answer them out loud. The villagers came and told him to stop being silly and come home. They feared he might be ill or crazy. When his older brother touched him, Guru’s body became exceedingly hot and turned red.“Please leave me alone, or one of us may die” Guru said. “If anyone disturbs me or my things at midnight, I will have to meditate for 20 years. But if all goes well, I will meditate for six years.”
Then Guru, followed by his brother and in the distance villagers, set out to find a good place in the forest for meditation. His parents insisted he take some food and water with him. Finally, he reached his destination at 11:00 am on May 18, 2005. This was the day the villagers of Ratanpuri celebrated Buddha Jayanti (Vesak).
 |
| Buddha Boy's first pipal or bodhi tree. |
On that night at 12:00 am, some pranksters came to disturb him and steal the offering. They quarreled over the money, and later accused each other in front of villagers. Having confessed, they asked Guru’s forgiveness.
Guru left his first meditation spot and traveled north on May 24, 2005. At that time he gave six pipal leaves to his second eldest brother telling him to keep them in oil. He said that as long as his family kept the leaves, all would be well. His relatives cried when he left.
Again the villagers were concerned about his whereabouts. But late in the afternoon, a cowherd saw him at his new meditation site. The villagers sent his family to bring him home. But Guru refused and moved to yet another pipal tree to the east.
He told his family that he must continue to meditate at all costs. He drew a boundary around his meditation area. Later villagers and relatives built a fence for him. A growing crowd gathered at the site, so he asked for a hut to be built and sealed with plastic on all sides. He remained in it for 15 days. After that he explained: “I have received some energy so that I may now meditate under a tree outside.”There was a terrible drought in the village. Guru advised the villagers to petition a naga (dragon, reptilian entity, snake deity). After five days, it started raining.
On his 75th day of meditation, he opened his eyes and asked his elder brother to address him, “Om Namo Buddha Gyani” (“Salutation to the One who knows Buddha”). Then he returned to his meditation. From that day on he was addressed as Om Namo Buddha Gyani.
On August 18, 2005 he called together his friends who were lamas. They asked him how it was that he was surviving without water. Guru replied that two nagas -- "dragons" often associated with water -- protected him from either side. That day Guru also changed his clothes and wore a white cloth called ngag.
[The Nagas are a tribal group who reside in the Indian Himalayan range, as are the Nga, both of whom seem named after the reptilian entities of Indian lore. Such beings, which are not always bad, are highly regarded in Tibet, Bhutan, and China as well.]
On November 6, 2005 a venomous snake (also called a naga) bit him. He sweat more than two liters (apparently still not taking liquids) as he continued to meditate. He thus overcame the venom. Local follower believe he reached enlightenment on this day, for the Bodhisattva (one yet to be enlightened) has the ability to survive otherwise deadly snake venom by staying against a tree, soil, and stone to digest, breakdown, and clear the poison. One is able to remain unaffected by wind and can understand the communication of all creatures (which more than by way of auditory language seems to be telepathic).
On November 8, 2005 Buddha Boy told the people gathered that he did not have the energy of a buddha. And he asked them not to publicize him as an "incarnation of the Buddha."
On November 11, 2005 a bright light appeared shining forth from his head (aura, nimbus, halo). His followers cried with joy and became even more fervent. But he told them, “Leave me in peace, and there will soon be peace in the country.” [That peace seems to have arrived.]
However crowds kept increasing. People chanted because pujas are emotionally devotional events rather than silently meditative ones. They set up a marketplace, according to broadcasters from Radio HBC 94 FM who visited the site on December 10, 2005.
The crowds were kept at a distance of about 50 meters. All witnesses claimed that Guru neither ate, drank or left to relieve himself. He just sat and meditated under the pipal tree. Baffled onlookers were ever increasing. There were stories of miracles: a girl and a young man had gained the power of speech although they could not speak. More
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